Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse: Which Movie Is the Best of the Twilight Series? 2010-07-05 13:30:00

Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse: Which Is the Best Movie?

Time for a hot debate in honor of Eclipse! Many of you have already been vocal about which Twilight movie you think is the best thus far, but it's time to settle the score once and for all. While many readers have made the case for the latest installment, others have said they prefer New Moon. Then there's the original. Sure, it may have been lacking in the budget and special effects department, but let's not forget that it was our first introduction to the Bella-Edward love story. Remember when they kiss in Bella's room for the first time?

I know it's a tough call, but tell me which film is your No. 1 pick, and why!

New Moon, hands down is the best of the three.
The first was just awful. The effects looked cheap, as did the stunts, the only good ones were the car stunts. It looked like a made for TV special - and the script was terrible. The only reason people mistakenly think the chemistry was better is because of Carter Burwell's score and the fact that Hardwicke took the shortcut of having Bella in short shorts on her bed while kissing Edward (something the book's Bella wouldn't wear in a million years!) to simulate sexual tension rather than actually creating a genuine relationship between the two. Which is why their screen relationship suffered in the second film because there didn't appear to be any relationship! Just sexual attraction. Fail.
The third film looks rushed, is rushed, spends a lot of time upping the sex and violence (particularly the latter) ante rather pointlessly as the rating is a fixed thing with the studio, so the vampires have to break apart like porcelain which begs the question if someone's head smashes on impact, why doesn't the fist of the smasher? Bella spends the whole thing barking at either Jacob or Edward as if that in itself is somehow empowering (it isn't, it's just annoying); by the time she was bellowing at Jacob to stay (is that a dog joke, btw, because it's not funny) I didn't know who I wanted to throttle more, her, or the screenwriter - who clearly couldn't have been less bothered on adapting the book. The film then spends even more time elaborating on Riley and Victoria - things Bella wouldn't see or know about anyway, and again pointless when the characters are going to be dead at the end so it's hard to care. Plus, the new Victoria casting doesn't work. She does not look like the fierce nomad who killed alongside James, BDH snarling ends up looking more ridiculous than fear inducing. Oh and the stunts and colours revert right back the fail of the first film. In fact, I disliked Eclipse so much that I refused to see it a second time. The only reason critics are giving it the thumbs up is because it's a movie for Twilight haters that seems to jettison all of the things that appealed to the original audience.Oh, and because they don't want to slag off the director of Hard Candy and 30 Days Of Night.
Clearly when Chris Weitz helmed New Moon he took the time to smooth out the script and/or let the actors improvise, he also insisted the script stick closely to the book - which is good because the other two films keep breaking Bella's POV to make it not the voice and view of ONE character but an objective reality - it's really not, it's just that world through her eyes and she has her biases. The story was taken seriously, the characters were taken seriously, and they were all better dressed; the wolf effects looked good, and the vampire movements were flawless - not simply action on fast foward - some time was taken to make their movement stylised and their beauty and style was present. Not so for the other two.
New Moon isn't just a good Twilight film, it's a good film period. Something I can't say about the other two. The first is just plain awful and the third is a rush job written and directed by people who - at core - would rather be doing something else.
If Breaking Dawn is anything like the first and third films then I will give up altogether and only buy New Moon on DVD - and just when I was holding out for the box set of the entire series.

New Moon, hands down is the best of the three. The first was just awful. The effects looked cheap, as did the stunts, the only good ones were the car stunts. It looked like a made for TV special - and the script was terrible. The only reason people mistakenly think the chemistry was better is because of Carter Burwell's score and the fact that Hardwicke took the shortcut of having Bella in short shorts on her bed while kissing Edward (something the book's Bella wouldn't wear in a million years!) to simulate sexual tension rather than actually creating a genuine relationship between the two. Which is why their screen relationship suffered in the second film because there didn't appear to be any relationship! Just sexual attraction. Fail.The third film looks rushed, is rushed, spends a lot of time upping the sex and violence (particularly the latter) ante rather pointlessly as the rating is a fixed thing with the studio, so the vampires have to break apart like porcelain which begs the question if someone's head smashes on impact, why doesn't the fist of the smasher? Bella spends the whole thing barking at either Jacob or Edward as if that in itself is somehow empowering (it isn't, it's just annoying); by the time she was bellowing at Jacob to stay (is that a dog joke, btw, because it's not funny) I didn't know who I wanted to throttle more, her, or the screenwriter - who clearly couldn't have been less bothered on adapting the book. The film then spends even more time elaborating on Riley and Victoria - things Bella wouldn't see or know about anyway, and again pointless when the characters are going to be dead at the end so it's hard to care. Plus, the new Victoria casting doesn't work. She does not look like the fierce nomad who killed alongside James, BDH snarling ends up looking more ridiculous than fear inducing. Oh and the stunts and colours revert right back the fail of the first film. In fact, I disliked Eclipse so much that I refused to see it a second time. The only reason critics are giving it the thumbs up is because it's a movie for Twilight haters that seems to jettison all of the things that appealed to the original audience.Oh, and because they don't want to slag off the director of Hard Candy and 30 Days Of Night.Clearly when Chris Weitz helmed New Moon he took the time to smooth out the script and/or let the actors improvise, he also insisted the script stick closely to the book - which is good because the other two films keep breaking Bella's POV to make it not the voice and view of ONE character but an objective reality - it's really not, it's just that world through her eyes and she has her biases. The story was taken seriously, the characters were taken seriously, and they were all better dressed; the wolf effects looked good, and the vampire movements were flawless - not simply action on fast foward - some time was taken to make their movement stylised and their beauty and style was present. Not so for the other two.New Moon isn't just a good Twilight film, it's a good film period. Something I can't say about the other two. The first is just plain awful and the third is a rush job written and directed by people who - at core - would rather be doing something else.If Breaking Dawn is anything like the first and third films then I will give up altogether and only buy New Moon on DVD - and just when I was holding out for the box set of the entire series.

I guess the movies are getting better as they go along? I'm not sure. I'll have to watch NM and E back to back to tell. I know I enjoyed the both of them better than Twilight, which was horrible in my opinion. I agree with the editing being bad. But what can you expect when Summit wants these movies released once a year? They don't give the creators anytime to breathe let alone put together a proper movie.

I guess the movies are getting better as they go along? I'm not sure. I'll have to watch NM and E back to back to tell. I know I enjoyed the both of them better than Twilight, which was horrible in my opinion.
I agree with the editing being bad. But what can you expect when Summit wants these movies released once a year? They don't give the creators anytime to breathe let alone put together a proper movie.

I guess I'm in the minority. Eclipse was a distant third for me. The editing seemed really rushed and the acting was pretty poor all around, though the previously lesser used characters (Jasper and Rosalie) did have some great moments with the flashbacks. I really disliked the directing in Eclipse. The scenes were choppily edited together so that you'd jump from one moment to the next with no real transition. There were also too many moments in the movie where the camerawork/editing jumped in accordance with the character speaking on screen, even if it was only for a single word. The camera was a little shaky too, and there were way too many super close-ups. I was kind of disappointed, especially since Eclipse was probably my favorite book of the series.

I guess I'm in the minority. Eclipse was a distant third for me. The editing seemed really rushed and the acting was pretty poor all around, though the previously lesser used characters (Jasper and Rosalie) did have some great moments with the flashbacks.
I really disliked the directing in Eclipse. The scenes were choppily edited together so that you'd jump from one moment to the next with no real transition. There were also too many moments in the movie where the camerawork/editing jumped in accordance with the character speaking on screen, even if it was only for a single word. The camera was a little shaky too, and there were way too many super close-ups. I was kind of disappointed, especially since Eclipse was probably my favorite book of the series.

I'd probably say Eclipse, but there's one thing I like way better about the first movie... the way the vampires looked. Their contacts got really fake looking in the second one and I liked how Alice's hair was a little more spiked out in the first one. I don't know. They just don't look the same in the other ones and I think they looked a lot better in the first one.

I'm sorry, but I have to say this. I thought Eclipse sucked tremendously! I'm a huge fan of the books, so it saddens me to have admit this. But I seriously think they need to rethink the direction of these films. The whole mood of the film was way off. Bella and Edward's relationship seems too strained, it never lets up! I don't expect them to copy EVERYTHING from the book, but they managed to suck out all of the sweetness from their relationship! Don't even get me started on Jacob's character! He's a completely different person! I fell in love with him in Eclipse (the book) and they actually managed to make me feel incredibly annoyed by him. He never even smiles properly in the movie! Their kissing scene on the mountain was WAY awkward..I didn't get it. The editing was a mess, half of it felt rushed and dislodged. With the acting being subpar, I half expected them to at least give them good lines. Needless to say, some if it made me want to barf. It's mostly disappointing because I really really love the books. God knows what they will do with the last one. I feel sick just thinking about it. Dissatisfied Fan, x

I'm sorry, but I have to say this. I thought Eclipse sucked tremendously! I'm a huge fan of the books, so it saddens me to have admit this. But I seriously think they need to rethink the direction of these films. The whole mood of the film was way off. Bella and Edward's relationship seems too strained, it never lets up! I don't expect them to copy EVERYTHING from the book, but they managed to suck out all of the sweetness from their relationship! Don't even get me started on Jacob's character! He's a completely different person! I fell in love with him in Eclipse (the book) and they actually managed to make me feel incredibly annoyed by him. He never even smiles properly in the movie! Their kissing scene on the mountain was WAY awkward..I didn't get it. The editing was a mess, half of it felt rushed and dislodged. With the acting being subpar, I half expected them to at least give them good lines. Needless to say, some if it made me want to barf.
It's mostly disappointing because I really really love the books. God knows what they will do with the last one. I feel sick just thinking about it. Dissatisfied Fan, x

My favorite was Eclipse because you get to learn more about the wolf pack as well as the Cullen's. The stories of Rosalie and Jasper were things I loved about the book and it was great seeing them played out.Bella seems like more of a tease in the movies then I found it to be in the book....

My favorite was Eclipse because you get to learn more about the wolf pack as well as the Cullen's. The stories of Rosalie and Jasper were things I loved about the book and it was great seeing them played out.
Bella seems like more of a tease in the movies then I found it to be in the book....

i'm on the fence about this one. i still can watch Twilight every day and NEVER get bored with it, but i think that Eclipse was really good and could be up there as well. i think that it was much better than NM. i didn't enjoy that one too much - and i'm a HUGE fan of the series